Bessette/Pitney’s AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: DELIBERATION, DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP reviews the idea of "deliberative democracy." Building on the book, this blog offers insights, analysis, and facts about recent events.

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Your Tax Dollars At Work: More Videos

Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained more than a half-dozen, newly uncovered videos from U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) which show senior GSA officials and staff participating in costumed playacting and parodies. These videos are evidence of GSA's extravagance, which, along with the scandalous 2010 Las Vegas regional conference, were revealed in a scathing April 2012 inspector general (IG) report. These videos had been available on GSA's website prior to the release of the IG Report but were removed shortly thereafter.

The videos were obtained by Judicial Watch pursuant to a June 15, 2012, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking videos produced by GSA's Northeast Region (known as Region 2) from 2011 through June 2012. Because the agency failed to timely respond to Judicial Watch's FOIA request, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit on May 23, 2013 (Judicial Watch v. U.S. General Services Administration (No. 1:13-cv-00755)).

These newly uncovered videos show a wide variety of costly videotaped performances by senior GSA officials and employees, including:

The Rocky Jog - With the Rocky movie theme blaring in the background, senior GSA officials lead employees on an extended jog through the corridors of the GSA's New York office and the streets of Manhattan. The jog is initiated by Ben Kochanski, Deputy Regional Commissioner, GSA Public Buildings Service, whose 2012 salary was $141,066.Kochanski is then joined by Joanna Rosato, Regional Commissioner of GSA Public Buildings Service, whose 2012 salary was $164,500. Many additional GSA employees then join these two senior officials.

Directors Meeting - GSA employee tries conducting a seminar for a room full of screeching GSA employees/monkeys who continue drinking and partying until he joins them in a dance routine.

Rap Music Video - GSA official transforms into a rap singer to explain to young employees the need for additional revenue.

Jeopardy - GSA officials and employees participate in an elaborate Jeopardy game show parody, complete with theme music, light up board, and canned audience applause.

The "Leasefather" - GSA employees parody the baker scene from "The Godfather" movie with supplicant pleading for Don Tony (stroking stuffed cat) to give him justice.